Locking means for retainers of draft keys



Oct. 6, 1936. v. H. HARBERT LOCKING MEANS FOR RETAINERS OF DRAFT KEYSFiled Dec. 8, 1934 Im/en or /#W$/.M,

ditto vie? Patented Oct. 6, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCKINGMEANS FOR RETAINERS OF DRAFT KEYS Application December 8, 1934, SerialNo. 756,657

4 Claims.

My invention relates to means for locking in place the usual retainer ofthe draft keys of the draft rigging of railroad cars whereby the losses,inconvenience and dangers heretofore encountered will be eliminated,while in no way interfering with required freedom and movement of thedraft key.

My invention has for an object the provision of a construction whereinthe locking means is not likely to come into forcible contact with thecenter or draft sills of the car during car operation and adapted, if itshould contact with the draft sills to withstand the impulsesencountered without becoming sheared or batl5 tered off as, however, isthe case with the cotterpin method at present employed to hold theretainer pin against upward creeping tendency.

My invention contemplates locking means adapted to be used with thestandard type or sized retainer pin at present employed and jointly withthe retainer pin to be inserted in a sufiiciently sized hole in thedraft key, namely a hole of larger diameter than that usually employedin the draft keys; the means contemplating, in conjunction with theretainer pin, an element adapted to be extended longitudinally of theretainer pin and through an oversized hole in the draft key.

The objects and advantages of my invention will be readily comprehendedfrom the following detailed description of the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of one end of a draft key and of a retainerto which my invention is shown applied; a portion of the head of theretainer being broken away.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the draft key with my improved lockingmeans as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one element of the locking means shownin Figures 1 to 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the other element of said lockingmeans.

My invention contemplates locking means adapted to be used with theusual draft key of the draft rigging of a railroad car; the draft key tobe provided with an oversized hole for receiving a standard sizedretainer in conjunction with my improved locking means which is intendedto take the place of cotter pins that have heretofore been used andwhich, in practice, have frequently become battered and broken,

thus permitting the retainer pin to gradually work upwardly and out ofthe draft key.

My improved retainer locking means is to be employed with a standardsized retainer pin or plug and an oversized hole in the usual draft 5key.

The draft key of which only'a portion of the tail end is shown at 11,has an enlarged or oversized hole 2i which is adapted to receive thecylindrical shank of the standard sized retainer 10 pin or plug 20having an elongated head 2i) which rests on the upper surface of thedraft key II.

The locking means involves a member 21 whose body portion 28 is madearcuate to con 15 form with the curvature of the shank of retainer pin20 and to extend partly thereabout as shown in Figures 1 and 3; thisbody portion 28 in conjunction with the shank of the retainer pin orplug 20 practically filling the oversized hole 2i in the draft key.

The lower end of this member 21, on the convexed side, is provided withan outwardly disposed lobe or ear 23 adapted to extend beyond theperimeter of the hole 2!; while the upper end of the arcuate portion 28.on the convexed side, is provided with an outwardly disposed slottedportion 30 having upstanding and spaced apart parallel wings 3|, wherebyan inverted T-shaped slot 32 is provided. The upstanding wings arearranged between the vertical planes I of the opposite sides of portion30; and these wings are shown provided with apertures 33, see Figure 4.

The portion 30 and lobe 29 are spaced apart slightly greater than thethickness of the draft key 11. see Figure 3, thus permitting the portion30 to overlap the draft key.

The inverted T-shaped slot 32 is intended to receive the rectangularbase portion 34 of member 35, shown in detail in Figure 5. Disposedupwardly and laterally beyond one end of the base 34 is the rightangularly disposed finger 36, shown provided with a reenforcing rib 31.

Member 35 is intended to have its base 34 slide into the slotway 32,while a. portion of the reenforcing rib 31 will extend between theupstanding wings 3i; member 35 being inserted in slotway 32 so as tohave the finger 36 disposed over the head 20 of the retainer pin or plug20. as shown in Figure 3.

The locking means may be a casting of preformed elements. In practice,the arcuate body portion 23 of the member 21 is first inserted into thedraft key hole with lobe 23 arranged on the bottom of the draft key asshown in Figure 3. The standard retainer pin 20 with its cylindricalshank is then inserted into the hole and in contact with the concavedside of the portion 28. This will cause member 21 to be held in place.while the head 20 will hold the retainer pin in place. The fingerelement 35 is then inserted through the outer end of the slotway 32 inmember 21 until the base of member 35 engages a longitudinal side of thepin-head 20 and the finger portion 3'! overlaps the pin-head as shown inFigure 3. This will lock the retainer pin against upward travel; thefinger member 35 being held in its proper position by a suitable cotterpin disposed through the holes 33 in the upstanding wings 3|, 31, asshown at 38 in Figures 1 and 2; the cotter pin being disposedtransversely of the rear end of the reenforcing rib 31 of the finger 36thereby preventing the latter backing away from the retainer pin head;the latter preventing movement of member 35 in the opposite direction.

I have shown a form of my invention wherein that portion of the lockingmechanism which extends within the hole of the key is disposed adjacentthe perimeter of a standard sized retainer pin; the pin and mechanismbeing arranged in an oversized hole in the draft key; and this structurehas been described in terms employed ior purposes of description, asvariations may be possible without, however, departing from the spiritof my invention.

What I claim is:

1. Locking means of the character described comprising a concave-convexmember adapted to fit into the round retainer pin receiving hole in adraft key and to extend about the shank oi the retainer pin, the lowerend or the member terminating in a laterally extending lobe on theconvexed side, while the upper end is enlarged toward the convexed sideand provided with a transversely extending slotway, and a retainerengaging finger removably secured in said slotway.

2. Locking means of the character described comprising a concave-convexmember adapted to fit about the cylindrical shank of a retainer pin. thelower end of the member being disposed laterally on the convexed side ofthe member, while the upper end is enlarged and disposed laterally onthe convexed side of the member, said enlarged portion being providedwith a transversely extending undercut slot open toward the convexed andthe concaved sides of the member, a retainer engaging finger elementslidably mounted in said undercut slot and adapted to engage one side ofthe head of the pin and to extend over the head oi the pin. and meanswhereby movement 01' said finger element away from the retainer pin isprevented.

3. Locking means of the character described comprising a concavo-convexmember adapted to fit about the cylindrical shank of a retainer pin, theconvexed side being provided with draft key engaging portions. the upperend of the member having a transversely movable portion disposed towardthe concaved side and adapted to overlap the head of the retainer pin,and means whereby said movable portion is held against movement.

4. Locking means of the character described comprising a member having aconcave-convex portion adapted to be inserted in the retainer receivinghole of a draft key. the convexed side of the member having laterallydisposed portions adapted to extend above and below the draft key, aretainer-head overlapping portion removably secured to the upper end ofthe concave-convex portion, means whereby the portions are slidablysecured together. and means whereby the retainer-head overlappingportion is held against movement.

VICTOR H. HARBERT.

